Of Aliens and Angels
by Laburnum26
Summary: Aphrodi is getting ready to go to bed when suddenly, a strangers knocks at his door, asking for his help. Takes place sometime before Inazuma Japan's match with Neo Japan. This is a two-shot Desarm/Aphrodi fic.


p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Finally! Aphrodi let out a contented sigh as he opened the bathroom door. He was finally ready to go to bed. School today was extremely exhausting, and Aphrodi could think of nothing more than just getting into bed and finally being able to sleep. He stepped out of the bathroom, already wearing his favourite pyjamas and a towel on his head. He took the towel off his head and let his wet blond locks fall down, all the way to his waist. He didn't bother drying it. This time of the year was extremely hot, and Aphrodi preferred his hair being dried naturally./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"He went to the kitchen and looked at the clock on the wall. He noted happily that it was only 9 pm, which meant that he still had plenty of time to get some sleep. And maybe this time, it would actually be a good one. Thanks to the Gods, his parents were away tonight, finally deciding to try and solve their problems by going on a movie date. Even though Aphrodi didn't see why going to a cinema - where people just sit in silence and stare at a film - would help his parents talk out their problems, he was more than glad for a little peace. He opened the refrigerator to pour a glass of milk for himself. He was almost surprised of actually being able to hear the clattering of the glass against the table, as he placed it down. This silence… it was such a rare occasion for Aphrodi nowadays. Noise surrounded his whole life. In school, on the field, and even at home. His parents were arguing all the time. They would arrive home every day drained and annoyed and always at the exact time Aphrodi would plan to go to bed. And, of course, his parents would start a fight as soon as they get home! At times like this, Aphrodi regretted being an only child. They always say how being an only child is great because both of your parents focus on you only. Aphrodi wished that this wasn't so true. For him, getting all of his parents' attention only resulted in them trying to make him take a side in their arguments. That was the thing he hated most: having to choose between his mom and his dad. Aphrodi smiled wryly at the glass of milk, deep in his thoughts./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"He took a deep breath. It was true that living with his parents sucked, but he wasn't going to let this get in the way of his beauty sleep. Just as he was turning around to head for his bed, the doorbell echoed through the room. Aphrodi froze on spot, doubtfully glancing at the clock. It was only 9 pm; the film his parent had chosen should end about 10:30 pm minimum. They shouldn't be here so early. He sighed and rubbed his forehead in annoyance. Looks like his parents decided to ditch the movie to do something else. Maybe, they went to a café and talked out their problems just as he had suggested earlier. But the former Greek god knew his parents better than to get his hopes up. He cursed under his breath as he put up a fake smile on his face and mentally prepared himself for another hours-long yelling and arguing. The blonde dragged himself towards the entrance door as if he was going to his own execution. No matter how hard he tried not to, he reached the wooden construction, the only thing standing between him and complete madness, in a bare couple of seconds. He pressed the handle and opened the door as he tried to sound as cheerful as he could be./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Hey guys, how did the date… Woah!' Aphrodi yelled and took a step back. On the doorsteps, there was a tall and muscular figure with long dark wavy hair, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His orange eyes reflected determination as he looked down on Aphrodi, but they widened as his mind processed the image of the wet haired boy in teddy bear-patterned pyjamas. The stranger smirked./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Who the hell are you?' Aphrodi exclaimed. He mentally kicked himself in the stomach for not being careful. If he had checked through the spyhole who it was, there wouldn't be a creepy stranger standing in his doorway./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Saginuma Osamu,' the guy answered in a calm voice. He took another brief glance at Aphrodi as he asked: 'May I come in?'/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Hell no!' Aphrodi answered, stomping his feet to emphasize his words. 'Explain yourself first!' he demanded./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"The wavy haired stranger rolled his eyes and murmured something resembling the word "childish" under his breath. 'Look,' he started. 'We can stand here while I tell you why I came here, letting all your neighbours,' he gestured vaguely behind him 'admire your rather interesting taste in pyjamas, or we can go inside.' Aphrodi turned slightly red at the stranger's comment./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Whatever,' the blond waved dismissively with his hand and turned his back on this so-called Saginuma Osamu. He had never heard of this name before... Why the hell would a complete stranger want to talk to him? Aphrodi still had fans of course, despite the fact that he no longer played at Zeus, but this boy didn't look like the one who would ask for an autograph. While his sane part told him to just shut the door and leave this crazy stranger behind, his other curious part was very inquisitive to know what he wanted. Aphrodi sighed and made his way to the kitchen, leaving the door open but giving no sign for the stranger to come in. However, Saginuma got the sign, stepped in, closed the door, and followed the blond striker to the kitchen./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'So spit it out!' Aphrodi barked looking straight into Saginuma's eyes in an attempt to threaten him. After all, this was his house and this strange guest can be quite dangerous; it's good to clarify at the beginning who has the upper hand here. However, his plan was not so successful due to that fact that Aphrodi himself was wearing a teddy bear-patterned outfit and was looking anything but threatening. Even if Saginuma had noticed that, he didn't say a word about it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'I need your help,' he said instead, glaring back at the former Greek god just as intensely. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'No,' the other replied without skipping a heartbeat. If he got a dollar every time someone asked him something like that, he would be able to move out of this damn house and leave his nervous-wreck parents behind for good./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'You don't even know what I'm asking from you,' Saginuma raised a brow./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Still no,' Aphrodi said carelessly. 'Whatever you have to ask from me, has probably no profit for me, or you would be making an offer rather than a desperate call,' he said not sparing a glance at the stranger. He wanted to get back at him for his comment on his pyjamas earlier so bad that he failed to notice that the other's expression changed from stone to something really dark./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'You spoiled little brat! Do you even know what is at stake?' Saginuma slammed his fist into the table in anger. He turned his head towards Aphrodi, orange orbs flaring with anger, and in that moment, the realisation hit the striker of Zeus hard. These eyes… he had only seen them through the screen of a television, still he knew that this glare is nothing to mess with. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Aphrodi unconsciously took a step back, his eyes widening. 'Y-You're Desarm…' he stammered. 'From Epsilon!' /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"The other looked rather annoyed as he realized that he let his anger overcome his sanity. Again. He let out a big sigh as he straightened himself. 'I was Desarm. Once,' he said quietly. 'But now, I'm Saginuma Osamu, and I planned to come here as a friend to ask for your help, until you decided to play the king on his high horse,' he rolled his eyes./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'But why on earth would you want to ask me anything?' Aphrodi asked, still in shock. He couldn't think a sane reason why this powerful guy would look for someone as ordinary as him. Well, Aphrodi knew that he wasn't so ordinary and that he was rather good at soccer, but these past months he hadn't made anything extraordinary, he was just sitting on the bench most of the time. There was nothing this alien… well, former alien could ask him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'As I said before, I need your help,' Saginuma started, but now he wasn't so calm. His cold composure had totally fallen apart due to his mini tantrum. 'I need you to teach me one of your hissatsu techniques.'/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Is that so?' Aphrodi quickly recomposed himself. 'And why would I do that?' he asked now with mockery again in his tone./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Because…' the former goalkeeper seemed to stop and think for a moment. 'You want your legacy to be passed on?' he tried./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Beep,' Aphrodi answered, shaking his head ignorantly. 'Wrong answer. Try again.' He was indeed enjoying that he could tease such a strong player./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Desarm huffed in an attempt to hold back his anger. This little bastard was just playing with him again! He gritted his teeth and sent a glare at Aphrodi that promised nothing but a slow and painful death. Aphrodi gulped and felt a shiver creeping up his spine. Maybe he went too far?/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'You're pathetic,' Desarm finally said contemptuously. 'You walk around here like you're a god, but let me tell you something Aphrodi-san; those times have passed. Get over yourself!'/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Now-now,' Aphrodi struggled to keep the mockery in his voice. 'You're the one to talk? emYou/em come to my house, emyou/em keep me from getting my beauty sleep, emyou/em ruin my furniture,' they both shot a glance at the table, which now had several small cracks on the part where Desarm had slammed his fist in earlier. 'And yet, you still think you can ask a favour from me,' Aphrodi said in a dripping tone./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Desarm bit his lower lip hard. He tried to fight the urge to jump right at this bastard and kill him. They both knew who was the stronger in this room, yet he was the one who was asking for something so he should be polite, right? But this guy won't make this situation easy. Desarm reminded himself that he needed to stay cool./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Why are you like this?' he sighed finally, running his fingers through his hair. 'I visit you and ask for a favour absolutely politely, and the only thing you do is make fun of me. Are you really that childish? 'He asked with disappointment in his tone. 'I used to admire you, but you're nothing now, just a little cry-baby. What are you even doing this for? What's the big deal in that hissatsu anyway?' Desarm looked at Aphrodi but was surprised to see that the blonde's face was absolutely unreadable. Seconds passed in silence when, finally, Aphrodi started to speak again./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'So you admire me, hah?' he flashed a smug smile. Desarm sighed and rubbed his forehead in annoyance./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'I said emI used to/em,' he answered in a calm voice, but Aphrodi could swear that he saw an almost invisible blush on his face. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Yeah, well, back at Zeus…' Aphrodi laughed bitterly. 'Everyone used to…'/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'No!' Desarm answered, completely ignoring the now not-so-invisible blush on his cheeks. He wasn't the type of guy who would easily talk about feelings, especially about his own admiration, but if this is the price of getting Aphrodi to help him, then so let it be. 'I mean…' he scratched the back of his head as he tried to collect his words. Desarm was not good with words either. 'I didn't admire you because of your strength or something… Well at the beginning it was like that… I thought too that your failure was simply ungracious and miserable…'/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Are you sure this is going to be a compliment?' Aphrodi raised a brow doubtfully. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Just shut it!' Desarm rumbled. 'But after the match with Raimon, I had to realize that you lost the most gracious way possible. And I admired you for it. After that big fall… You still managed to stand up and look in the eyes of your teammates… A thing that, on the other hand, I wasn't capable of…' Desarm realized too late that he let that last sentence slip out of his mouth./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"The blonde stared at him with jaw dropped. It took about half a minute for him to regain control over his face, but he finally managed it./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'You see, that's why I need your help. I failed to be the best at Aliea Gakuen, and I failed to be recruited to Inazuma Japan. But I won't give up,' Desarm straightened himself proudly. 'I have worked hard all my life, so I won't stop now. Luckily, there are some other guys who think the same as me. We started a team: Neo Japan, and Hitomiko-sensei is our coach. We started to learn each other's techniques to become stronger. But as the team already has a powerful goalkeeper, I became a striker. And my skills in that position need some more training. So, I was thinking that maybe, if you teach me how to do "God Knows", I will be able to fight against Inazuma Japan and take their position away.'/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'So, let me get this straight,' Aphrodi started with a big sigh. He needed some time to gather his thoughts. 'You and bunch of other kids who are not on the national team form a team with Hitomiko-sensei. Also, if you defeat the current Inazuma Japan, you will take their place as national team?'/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Yes, that's the plan,' Desarm nodded sternly. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Are we talking about the same team here?' Aphrodi chuckled bitterly. 'Do you really think that you can defeat a team, where Endou Mamoru is the goalkeeper?' /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'I believe so. We work hard each and every day,' Desarm said./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Hah! I thought you were wiser than this Saginuma-san,' Aphrodi smiled wryly. 'We both know that this kind of naive philosophy only works for Endou's team,' the former Greek god sighed. 'But I can give you an advice, and luckily for you it's absolutely free: give up. No need to get your hopes up when Endou's cheerful team will somehow manage to win anyway. I know how this works, trust me. I was part of it.' /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"While Aphrodi spoke, he failed to notice the change in Desarm's mood. Again. That's why he jumped when the ex-alien started to speak./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'What happened to you?' Desarm shook his head unbelievingly with disgust in his voice. 'You used to be so proud and strong! You stood there, in the finals, with such grace and power… and even… even after the tables turned… you fought till your last breath. And now you're the one who tells me to give up? After all, you should know the best since you were part of their team that hard work always pays off. One way or another. You even got your emredemption/em,' Desarm rolled his eyes at such a pathetic word but continued. 'You've become a hero. And yet, you are still bitter about it?'/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Aphrodi felt anger rising in him. This ex-alien sure knew how to get on his nerves! Desarm chose the worst time to bother him. He ruined his plans, and he ruined his mood. He hurt him, and Aphrodi was mad that such a stranger could upset him this much. How does he dare to speak to him like that? How does he dare to accuse him of being thankless? This isn't how Aphrodi is supposed to be treated! He'll show him!/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Because it's not the same!' he screamed back at Desarm. Aphrodi stared at him in shock as he realized that he hadn't quite said what he originally intended to say. He swallowed hard. Looks like he's so sleep-deprived that he can't even control his own words. Desarm really got him at the worst time possible./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'What's not the same?' Desarm asked, perplexed. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Aphrodi bit his tongue in order to keep himself from answering. A few seconds passed in silence, the clock ticking in the background. He silently begged that Desarm wouldn't figure it out, and he would just let it go. But unfortunately, realisation dawned on Desarm's face. Aphrodi had never ever wished in his life this much that the floor would just open so he could disappear. Desarm's eyes flashed for a second, and Aphrodi could swear that he saw something in those orange orbs. Was it pity? Or sympathy? Aphrodi couldn't tell because the Epsilon captain's expression was immediately replaced with disgust./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'You're a coward, Aphrodi-san,' Desarm spat, his voice filled with rage. 'You're a coward because you refuse to accept yourself. You still walk around here like you're the captain of Zeus with infinite power, but deep inside you know that this attitude won't work. You lost everything that made you Aphrodi, and you can't fake it anymore. Even that arrogant attitude of yours is rusty,' Desarm huffed contemptuously. '/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Aphrodi turned away from Desarm and pressed his palms to his ears in an attempt to block his voice, but it was useless. He was aware that his action only justified Desarm's words about him being childish, but he didn't care. He had to stop those words somehow. He couldn't hear them anymore. He would rather die than to admit it, but they were true. So true. So true, that Aphrodi felt a small lump forming in his throat. He tried to make it disappear by swallowing, but it didn't help. He had to stay focused, he reminded himself as he swallowed again./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'You try to pretend that you're still the fearful Greek God, but honestly, we both know what you are deep inside.' Desarm continued, absolutely ignoring the state Aphrodi was in. 'You're an addict, Aphrodi-san. You still wish that you would were at Zeus, you are still craving the power the "Aqua of the Gods" had to offer. You know that you shouldn't, and you hate yourself for still wanting it. You want to change so desperately, but you're too much of a coward, because you think that if you do so, you will lose yourself. You think that "Aphrodi", the powerful Greek God will disappear, and there will be nothing left just sad little Afuro Terumi,' Desarm stated with no sign of sympathy in his voice./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Aphrodi let his hands down and turned swiftly around, his blond hair swaying from the movement./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'What do you know about it?' he shouted at Desarm with all of his hurt./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Desarm flinched at the amount of emotion in the blonde's voice. He looked into Aphrodi's eyes and was taken aback. The once proud striker's lava eyes were filled with tears. Desarm gulped. Perhaps he was a little too harsh... Damn, Midorikawa always told him that he speaks what's on his mind too often and too honestly./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'More than you'd think,' he whispered to himself./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"The captain of Zeus sniffed and quickly wiped his tears away with the sleeve of his teddy-bear pyjamas. He shot a questioning look at Desarm. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Desarm didn't really want to talk about it. If he could choose between a week-long training and talking about his recovery, he would rather choose the former. But somehow, he felt like he could tell this to Aphrodi. Because he is going through the same thing he went through when he got rid of that wicked stone. The only difference between him and Aphrodi was that while Desarm had all his brothers and sisters at Sun Garden, who felt the same pain he had, understood and supported him, Aphrodi was all alone. How can a power-addict ex-god get rid of his addiction when there's no one to support him? To reassure him and nudge him forward? Because one thing was clear for Desarm; Afuro Terumi had no allies, nor friends to back him. Well at least, not real ones. Maybe if he told his story, Aphrodi wouldn't feel so alone anymore and would be able to move forward. But why would he do that, Desarm asked himself the question. Why would he help such a whimp? Because he liked Aphrodi. Despite all his drama and yelling and arrogance, this was still the Aphrodi he used to look up to. And he would hate to see his idol fall. People say that you always get a little bit disappointed when you meet your idol because you have to realize that they are real people, not just that perfect smile on a magazine. But it was different with Desarm. Yes, he was indeed disgusted at first and immensely disappointed, but now he got over it. And he wanted to help this outcast god get back on his feet./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'The Aliea Stone,' Desarm started slowly, his rough voice turning into a quite murmur. 'At first, we had no idea. After Father went to prison, Hitomiko took over the steering wheel, and everything seemed fine. Then some small but weird changes started to happen. Just random faintings, unexplainable aching spots in the body, sudden craves for certain foods, and all kinds of strange things like that. It took us some time until we realized that they were the Aliea Stone's side effects, but eventually we figured it out. You know, the scariest part was that each of us reacted to the stone differently. The side effects depended on our strength, abilities, and the length of time we had used them. Nobody knew what to expect. There were some who got it rather easy; some casual pain at random spots, or losing hair. But there were ones who got the worst; one of us even lost his eyesight,' Desarm hung his head in sorrow as he recalled the memory. 'And even though the side effects were different for each and every one of us, there was one side effect that everybody received: withdrawal symptoms. And with every day, it got worst; the longing for the power of the stone was almost unbearable. And it wasn't because the pain that it caused to our bodies was torturing. That was nothing compared to what the stone had done to our heads,' Desarm sighed. 'It drove us to the verge of our sanity. We emknew/em that we were still strong and powerful, yet our hearts desired the strength the crystal used to give us. We craved that plus which the stone added to our heartbeats. That strange energy we felt jolting through our veins, that weird fire in our eyes, that strange but reassuring feeling we got from it. Now, that the crystal was gone, we felt empty inside. Just a shell, incapable of anything. We felt we were nothing without the meteorite. Everybody threw the crystals away, but they threw away themselves along with it. Because that's what the Aliea stone did, it built itself in our bodies, it crept into our minds, into our veins, slowly and silently, and before we knew it we became new people. We became… aliens. Everybody gave up their personalities, their dreams, and their abilities just to become the aliens you had seen on screen. And with its disappearance, everyone disappeared too. There was no Gran, Reize, or Desarm anymore. There were only shadows of our past selves. Oh, but what brilliant aliens we were,'Desarm's eyes lost focus; he was now staring into somewhere Aphrodi couldn't see. 'We gave up everything just to accomplish Father's goal. We were so powerful! We were the perfect ones. The next level of humanity,' Desarm suddenly started to acknowledge his own words and bit his lower lip hard just to regain his concentration. He coughed slightly, shaking his head as if he were trying to shake his own thoughts out of it. 'Excuse me, I got carried away,' he said staring at the kitchen table, but he still felt Aphrodi's piercing gaze on him./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'The point is,' Desarm continued 'that the recovery was hard. It was the most painful thing that I've ever experienced. But in the end it was worth it,' he said. 'You have no idea how great it feels to be emme/em again./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Aphrodi sighed. The speech Desarm gave him sent shivers down his spine and tied his stomach in a knot. He knew the feeling Desarm had described too damn well. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'I'm not an addict,' Aphrodi said after a minute of silence. 'After the final match, Kageyama was captured, and we were all sent to a emspecial/em hospital where they did not just cure our bodies but tried to take care of our minds too,' Aphrodi didn't want to pronounce that wrenched word./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'So, you went to rehab?' Desarm asked raising a brow, ignoring the other's careful choice of words./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Don't interrupt me!' Aphrodi snapped. He wasn't proud of the fact that he had been to rehab and he hoped that not mentioning the word would make this rather embarrassing part of his life look insignificant. But Desarm just had to draw attention to it! 'So yeah, we went to emrehab /emif you want to say that way, but it was a horrible place. Maybe it was because that was the hardest time of our lives. You can't just get rid of an addiction from one day to another, and we suffered a lot. I know the feeling you described, we got too attached to our drugs as well. A lot of us just realized that at the hospital when there was no "Aqua of the Gods" anymore. After I've been officially pronounced cured, I could leave that hell of a place. The worst thing was that I had to start everything from the beginning. It didn't matter that I was a strong player even without the "Aqua of the Gods", I still had to start from the bottom again. I advanced with baby steps. It felt like whenever I was taking a step forward I immediately took two backwards. It almost drove me insane. I kept remembering that I used to be capable of doing this or that in a blink of an eye when I had the "Aqua of the Gods" with me. I missed its power so much. And it was a real punch in the face when I realized that without the drink, I'm just a normal human. I'm not a god anymore. I'm no longer worthy of the name of a god. But if I wasn't Aphrodi who was I? I didn't know the Afuro Terumi I used to be, nor did I wish to become him again. I was way stronger than that little kid before Zeus. So, I stuck with the name. That's how Endou and everyone on the team called me too, so I kept it. As a reminder that no human can be god. But sometimes this reminder is too strong, and I'm afraid…' Aphrodi bit his own tongue and stopped in midsentence. He didn't plan to say that much about himself but he got carried away just as Desarm. Aphrodi couldn't tell why, but he felt like he could trust this guy with his problems. Was it maybe because he had experienced the same thing he had? Anyway, it didn't matter since Aphrodi wasn't planning to share his fears with him. This guy was almost a stranger, after all. And there was a certain line that Aphrodi did not wish to cross. That was too petty for his dignity./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'That you'll fall back,'Desarm continued Aphrodi's sentence, still not looking at the blonde. 'Sometimes, you just look in the mirror just for a brief second, and suddenly you're taken back to those times. You try to shake it off, but it's no use. Because even when you look at yourself in the mirror you see emhim/em. That perfected image you created of yourself and, dear god, those were the times when you were that powerful! You were at the top of your game; you were that idol and, damn wasn't it good to be perfect? To be the best and the most powerful, to be above all normal humans. To break the laws of physics and chemistry and… well… just to be unstoppable. And then you get afraid. That this is how it starts, and you're falling back again. You think that this is how these kinds of things start: with nostalgia, with the longing for the past. You're scared and angry at yourself for wanting the old times even though you know that you had done wrong. You're afraid of the matter that made you a monster in the first place, yet you still crave it. And that scares the shit out of you,' Desarm finished./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Aphrodi swallowed hard, not knowing what to say to the other. Desarm described his feelings very precisely./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Exactly,' he said finally in a calm voice. A long and rather uncomfortable silence settled on them as both players realized that they admitted their greatest fears loudly, in front of an almost stranger./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'That's why you need to help me,' Desarm said suddenly, after he regained control of his thoughts again./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'And why's that?' Aphrodi asked, repeating his answer from earlier. 'What's in it for me?'/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'So you can let go of the past. If you pass the knowledge of "God Knows" you can maybe let go of that "Aphrodi" you're trying to preserve so dearly and you can finally be Afuro Terumi,' Desarm said. 'Well, a new one of course,' he added as he remembered that Aphrodi didn't want to be that child he used to be./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Hah… I don't need to let go of anything…' Aphrodi stated but his voice sounded unsure. This time, Desarm didn't make a comment on it, didn't push it, and just waited silently as Aphrodi thought it over./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'But "God Knows" is an extremely hard technique. Especially if you're trying to learn it without the "Aqua of the Gods". It's not meant for humans, only for gods' Aphrodi sneered at his own last sentence. Looks like his sense of humour was rusty too, not just his edgy attitude./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Well then, it's a good thing that I'm no human,' Desarm smirked smugly in response and decided to play along. 'I'm an alien after all…' /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Do you really think that you can learn "God Knows" without the help of your precious "Aliea Stone"?' Aphrodi was now so close to Desarm that he could smell the blond's shampoo./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Desarm didn't even flinch, just kept on smirking. 'I'm most certain,' he answered./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'Well then, prove it!' Aphrodi demanded. 'I challenge you! I'll shoot three times. If you are able to block any of it, I'll teach you "God Knows". But if you fail, you'll get out of my house, out of my sight, and you'll never bother me again. Is that clear?' Aphrodi asked slowly as if he were talking to a child. /span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Desarm pondered on his possibilities. He realized that this is the closest opportunity for him to learn this technique. He shrugged nonchalantly as a rather wicked smile spread across his face. 'Bring it on!' he said in his usual calm attitude./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"Aphrodi turned his back on Desarm aggressively. His hair swayed at the movement and slapped Desarm in the face. 'Well then. I'll change into something more convenient for soccer and meet you back here,' he said gracefully with no sign of vulnerability in his voice./span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB"'How does he do that,' Desarm wondered as the blond left the kitchen. 'One moment he's like a lost puppy and in the next, he turns into a pitbull.'/span/p  
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt;"span lang="EN-GB" Desarm looked out the window, staring into darkness, as he murmured to himself the sentence that his old rival, Endou used to repeat so often: 'Okay, let's do this!'/span/p 


End file.
